Hello and welcome to the first post in my new series, Writing Resource Roundup! In this post, I've pulled together the best resources to help you nail your queries to agents.
The Manuscript Academy Podcast and The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Podcast: These excellent podcasts, both updated regularly, feature agents reading and analyzing queries submitted by listeners. After listening to a good handful of episodes, you’ll start to have a solid idea of what turns agents off when reading a query, what’s an immediate red flag in a query letter, and what common storytelling mistakes to avoid when writing your query letter. You could even submit your query and have it analyzed on the podcast!
Query Shark’s blog and Eric Smith’s page of querying resources: If you’re wanting text-based analysis of query letters, these two sites are goldmines. Query Shark analyzes ineffective query letters, while Eric Smith shares effective queries and discusses why they work.
Nathan Bransford’s Publishing Advice Page: This former literary agent-turned-author has created an impressive library of free querying advice, with articles on just about any querying-related topic you can think of! Bransford’s website also features query letter critiques.
QueryTracker, Manuscript Wish List, and Publishers Marketplace: When you’re ready to start researching agents to query, you’ll become very good friends with these websites. Each is a database featuring different types of information about agents, what they’re looking for, and what their track record is like. QueryTracker and Publishers Marketplace both have paid options which, if you can swing it, I highly recommend subscribing to.
This one isn't so much a resource as a tip: don't forget to get feedback on your query letter and your entire query package from multiple sources, ideally the most experienced sources possible. Whether you hire an editor to review your query (many agents are also freelance editors; Eric Smith's website has a database of agents you could hire, and Manuscript Academy has query critique sessions with agents you can book) or present it for critique through conference workshops or in online writing groups, what matters is that you get feedback on your query, rework it according to the best feedback you receive, and then rinse and repeat until it's solid.
8 hours of ocean waves and free printable mandala coloring pages. Am I kidding? Nope. Querying is stressful. And often kind of soul-sucking. Don’t forget to pause, breathe, repeat some mantras, and take care of yourself during this process!
Related: Writing Resource Roundup: AI Edition
There you have it! A comprehensive list of resources to get you off to a solid start on your querying journey. If you have anything to add to this list, I’d love to hear about it!
Happy writing! (And querying!)
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